Definition of the word polarization

The word "polarization" has its roots in the 17th-century Latin phrase "polarisatio," which means "exposing to the pole." In optics, the term was first used by Dutch physicist Erasmus Bartholinus in 1669 to describe the phenomenon of light exhibiting double refraction when passing through certain crystals. He observed that the refracted light was separated into two distinct beams, one perpendicular to the other, which he called "polarisatio." This concept was later developed by other scientists, including Huygens and Malus, who studied the properties of light and its interaction with matter. Today, the term "polarization" encompasses not only light but also electromagnetic waves, sound waves, and even social and political phenomena, describing the process of orienting or aligning entities along a single axis or direction.